Patents by Inventor Katsushi Nakano

Katsushi Nakano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130278908
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes; a supply outlet that supplies a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and a liquid supply system that supplies an ionized ionic liquid to the supply outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshitomo NAGAHASHI, Katsushi NAKANO
  • Patent number: 8514366
    Abstract: An exposure method includes holding a substrate held by a substrate holder on a substrate stage moving on an image plane side of a projection optical system; forming an immersion area the image plane side of the projection optical system by using a liquid supplied from a liquid supplying mechanism; and exposing a substrate by exposure light via the projection optical system and the immersion area. During a period when exposure of the substrate is not performed, an upper portion of the substrate holder is cleaned by moving the substrate stage relative to the immersion area, and an upper portion of a measuring stage is cleaned by moving the measuring stage relative to the immersion area. A cleaning liquid can be used as a liquid for forming the immersion area during cleaning. High-resolution immersion exposure is performed at a high throughput by suppressing entering of foreign materials into the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Katsushi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8384877
    Abstract: There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate P via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate P. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism 40 which removes the liquid remaining on a part 7 arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Publication number: 20120314193
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate using exposure light via a liquid. The exposure apparatus comprises a substrate holding part, which releasably holds and is capable of moving a substrate, a management apparatus, which manages a status of usage of a dummy substrate that the substrate holding part is capable of holding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Natsuko Sagawa, Katsushi Nakano, Kenichi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8305553
    Abstract: Provided is an exposure apparatus that is able to prevent liquid from remaining on a measuring part. An exposure apparatus comprises a measuring system (60), which has a first pattern (61) formed on the upper surface of a substrate stage, and a second area (S2) specified on the upper surface in the vicinity of a first area (S1), which includes the first pattern (61), and a second pattern (80) is formed in the second area (S2) so that the liquid (LQ) that has remained so as to span the first area (S1) and the second area (S2) retreats from the first area (S1) and collects in the second area (S2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Katsushi Nakano, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 8294873
    Abstract: An exposure method for exposing a substrate with exposure light that irradiates the substrate via a liquid, wherein the concentration of an eluted substance in the liquid on the substrate is set so as to satisfy the condition RW?RP?1.0×10?3 when RP is the transmittance of the liquid containing an eluted substance eluted from the substrate per 1 mm in the optical path direction of the exposure light, and RW is the transmittance of the liquid that does not contain the eluted substance per 1 mm in the optical path direction of the exposure light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Katsushi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8253924
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus is provided with an optical system including a liquid, a sensor system for acquiring energy information of an energy beam which is incident on the liquid, and a controller which predicts variation of optical properties of the optical system including the liquid due to energy absorption of the liquid based on the energy information acquired using the sensor system and controls exposure operation with respect to an object based on the prediction results. According to the exposure apparatus, exposure operation without being influenced by the variation of the optical properties of the optical system including the liquid due to the energy absorption of the liquid becomes possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yusaku Uehara, Kousuke Suzuki, Katsushi Nakano, Yasuhiro Omura
  • Patent number: 8174668
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table which holds a substrate, a projection system which projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, the projection system having a final optical element adjacent the substrate, a liquid supply system which provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table, and a cleaning system which cleans the substrate table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Patent number: 8169592
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a surface and movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element. The apparatus also includes a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Publication number: 20120094238
    Abstract: To provide a substrate holding apparatus which can prevent a liquid from entering into a rear surface side of a substrate. A substrate holding apparatus is provided with a base material, a first holding portion formed on the base material for holding the substrate, and a second holding portion formed on the base material for holding a plate member by surrounding the circumference of a processing substrate held by the first holding portion. The second holding portion holds the plate member so as to form a second space on the side of the rear surface of the plate member. On the rear surface of the plate member, an absorbing member is arranged for absorbing the liquid entered from a gap between the substrate held by the first holding portion and the plate member held by the second holding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki NAGASAKA, Makoto Shibuta, Katsushi Nakano, Yuichi Yoshida, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Patent number: 8130363
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate in an exposure operation, a liquid supply system having a supply port from which exposure liquid is supplied, and a member which has a surface and which is different from the substrate. In the exposure operation, the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the substrate. In a cleaning operation, the member is moved to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element, and the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the surface of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Patent number: 8111374
    Abstract: An analysis method includes a developing process (SA60), which develops the substrate, a first measuring process (SA50), which measures the abnormalities of the pre-development substrate, a second measuring process (SA70), which measures the abnormalities of the post-development substrate, and an analyzing process (SA80), which analyzes the exposure defects of a substrate exposed via a liquid based on the measurements results of the first measuring process (SA50) and the measurement results of the second measuring process (SA70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Katsushi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20120008112
    Abstract: An immersion type lithographic apparatus includes at least one immersion space and an immersion system configured to at least partially fill the immersion space with a liquid. The apparatus is configured to rinse at least part of the immersion space with a rinsing liquid before the apparatus is used to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Katsushi Nakano, Masahiko Okumura, Tarou Sugihara, Takeyuki Mizutani, Tomoharu Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8072576
    Abstract: There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate P via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate P. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism 40 which removes the liquid remaining on a part 7 arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Patent number: 8053937
    Abstract: A linear motor is equipped with a coil body (62), and a yoke (71) that supports a magnetism generating body (72) and that moves relative to the coil body (62). The yoke (71) has a first portion (73) that is formed from a magnetic material and disposed based on the saturation state of the magnetic field, which is generated by the magnetism generating body (72), in the yoke (71).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Katsushi Nakano, Shigeru Morimoto, Shigeki Kageyama
  • Patent number: 8040489
    Abstract: A substrate processing method which includes an exposure step wherein an immersion area of a first liquid is formed on a substrate and the substrate is exposed by being irradiated with an exposure light through the first liquid, and an immersion step wherein the substrate is immersed in a second liquid before the exposure step. By this method, occurrences of problems caused by adhesion marks, which are always involved in immersion exposure, can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Katsushi Nakano, Masahiko Okumura, Tarou Sugihara, Takeyuki Mizutani, Tomoharu Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8004653
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate in an exposure operation, a liquid supply system having a supply port from which exposure liquid is supplied, and a member which has a surface and which is different from the substrate. In the exposure operation, the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the substrate. In a cleaning operation, the member is moved to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element, and the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the surface of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Publication number: 20110199594
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a flow passage in which exposure liquid flows, the flow passage being in fluidic communication with the space. The apparatus also includes a cleaning system which cleans the member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Patent number: 7995187
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table which holds a substrate, a projection system which projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, the projection system having a final optical element adjacent the substrate, a liquid supply system which provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table, and a cleaning system which cleans the substrate table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Akikazu Tanimoto, Yasushi Mizuno, Kenichi Shiraishi, Katsushi Nakano, Soichi Owa
  • Publication number: 20100283979
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus successively exposes each substrate of a plurality of substrates included in a lot with exposure light through a liquid. The exposure apparatus comprises: a movable substrate holding member that holds the substrate at a position whereto the exposure light can be radiated; and a liquid immersion member that is capable of forming an immersion space such that the liquid is held between the liquid immersion member and the substrate held by the substrate holding member and an optical path of the exposure light is filled with the liquid; wherein, before the start of exposure of a first substrate in the lot, the immersion space is formed between the liquid immersion member and a movable member, which is different from the first substrate, and at least one of the liquid immersion member and the movable member is cleaned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsushi Nakano, Munetaka Sugimoto, Shigeru Aoki, Shin Hirokawa